


i'm alone with no loneliness

by askmeaboutmyoctopustheory



Series: follow your aro wherever it points [1]
Category: Marvel 616, The Unstoppable Wasp
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Clint Barton, Aromantic Nadia Van Dyne, Coming Out, Found Family, Gen, Insecurity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:48:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/askmeaboutmyoctopustheory/pseuds/askmeaboutmyoctopustheory
Summary: Bobbi has had some experience with someone coming to terms with their aromanticism and helps Nadia figure hers out.
Relationships: Bobbi Morse & Janet Van Dyne, Bobbi Morse & Nadia Van Dyne, Past hawkingbird
Series: follow your aro wherever it points [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976242
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	i'm alone with no loneliness

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is gonna be a bit of a series of character studies of sorts of characters who i headcanon as aromantic!
> 
> I am a pansexual aromantic person and am using my own experiences and those of my qpps and friends! 
> 
> title from will jay's ARO ANTHEM "never been in love"

Bobbi could tell that Nadia wasn’t fully engaged while they were training. She was pulling her punches and her motions were getting repetitive. Bobbi dodged one of the teen’s weaker than normal punches and twisted her arms behind her.

“Break.” She said when Nadia tapped her leg twice without much fight. “What’s wrong little wasp?”

Nadia drank a long pull of water from her bottle and frowned. “I don’t really know. I just…” She let out a sigh.

Bobbi sensed that this was a conversation better had not in the gym and pulled her hoodie on. “Why don’t we go get coffee? That new spot opened up a little ways down the road?”   
  
They shuffled through the autumn wind and settled into a corner in the cozy cafe with hot drinks and doughnuts. 

“Mmm doughnuts are the best part of not being in a bunker.” Nadia said through crumbs.

Bobbi nodded in agreement. “Doughnuts and coffee.” 

  
“How’re your missions?” Nadia asked.

Bobbi hesitated before retelling a few of her recent missions and projects. “What about you, Nads? Got a project on your mind? Champions stuff?”

“Projects, just….I’ve been feeling off recently.” Nadia admitted, swirling her hot chocolate in her mug.

“Have-” Bobbi faltered. “Have you been consistent with your meds?”

“Yeah, not like that sort of off feeling.” Nadia chewed on her lip. “Personal stuff I guess.”

“I’m not gonna make you talk about it, but if you need someone who’s not your step-mom to talk to, I’m always around. I’ve dealt with a lot of weird stuff in my day and there’s no judgment here.”

“I’m just lonely. I guess. Not really though-” Nadia paused again. “Everyone has their person. Except me.”

“You have many people, Nadia.” Bobbi frowned. 

“Yeah but nobody who’s  _ my _ person, like Shay and Ling have each other. How you and Janet have each other. And Tania even has Robbie even though he’s on the West Coast but we have the teleporter-”

“So you want…. A significant other?” Bobbi asked, prodding gently deeper into the conversation. “Not because two of the three of those are romantic relationships, and Janet and I, well. We are always going to have each other one way or another.” 

“I don’t even feel like I have that anymore. Ling was always that person for me, and I don’t resent her for meeting Shay, I'm so glad they have each other. Priya and I are close but it’s not the same.”   
  


“Well…” Bobbi started. “Are there any people you are interested in dating.”

“I-” Nadia swallowed. Bobbi looked down at the young girl’s hands that were shaking slightly. “I don’t want to. I think that part of me is broken. I don’t want to date anyone”

“Oh my darling.” Bobbi scooted closer to Nadia. “Can I hug you?”

Nadia sniffed and nodded.

“Can I tell you a little story?”   
  
“Sure.” Nadia sounded miserable.

“I once knew someone, I shouldn't say knew, I still know him. He dated many people, but none of them stuck. His relationships always fell apart for insignificant reasons. Usually it wasn’t a bad breakup it just didn’t work and they parted ways. He never knew what he did wrong or right in a relationship, just kept floating from person to person hoping one would stick.”   
  
Bobbi paused and stroked Nadia’s hair. 

“I married him.” She finished. 

“Clint?” Nadia twisted where she was resting her head on Bobbi’s shoulder.    
  
“Yep. We tried to make it work. We went to counseling and everything. I figured it out before he did, but he got there eventually too.”   
  
“You figured what out?”   
  
“Clint’s aromantic. He doesn’t do well with romance and relationships. He still loves me, and I will always love him but marriage was never something that he wanted and he’s not very big on relationships in general.”

“And… you figured that out before him? How did he figure it out himself?”

“Well. He was pretty torn up about it, because he thought that he was betraying our marriage by not wanting romance. But I found some good resources for him once he finally came to me, all angsty, about how he didn’t want to be married.”

“And that's ok?” Nadia’s voice was small.   
  


“Of course. Like I said, I love him still. He still loves me. It’s just not the love that makes a marriage. It’s the love that will still cross oceans and time streams, but can’t go on dates once a week to make a relationship work.”

Nadia made a small noise affiration.

“I’m gonna go get more donuts. Chocolate?”

Bobbi walked off, watching Nadia out of the corner of her eye. 

“But.” Nadia frowned when Bobbi sat back down. “I still-” She blushed. “I still think some girls are pretty.”   
  
Bobbi laughed. “That’s understandable. You think Clint likes going on mission with Bucky Barnes because of the company? You can still be attracted aesthetically or physically to people.”   
  
“Did you know?” Nadia asked.

“Did I know what?” Bobbi sipped her coffee. 

“That I… I might be aromantic?”    
  
Bobbi shrugged. “I didn’t want to assume. You’ve had a rough upbringing, kid. Everyone is different when it comes to figuring this kinda thing out.”

“D’you think it’s because I grew up in a bunker?” Nadia asked after a beat of silence. 

“It could be, or it might not be. Both are reasonable. I don’t think you need it all figured out right now. But if it makes you feel better, there are other people who know how you are feeling.”

The two walked back to Pym labs in comfortable silence and Nadia disappeared into her room. Bobbi went into the main lab where she found Janet pouring over her computer. 

“I saw you and Nadia went out?” 

“Yeah. We had a talk about some stuff.”   
  
“That’s good. I’m glad she feels like she can talk to you.” Janet smiled at her. “I want her to have other women to confide in besides me.”   
  
“I think she’s a good kid. She’s gonna be ok.”   
  
Bobbi’s phone pinged and a text from Nadia came through. It had a green heart followed by a white heart and a black heart. 

_ Thank you Mock. _

**Anytime baby wasp :)**

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/_AMAMOT) or i’m on [tumblr](https://askmeaboutmyoctopustheory.tumblr.com/)


End file.
